Archive for the Series Category


Yuri Network News – January 9, 2010

January 9th, 2010

The even-year effect is in place and Yuri is pretty thin for the new anime season, but don’t fear, there’s plenty of stuff for us to read!

Yuri Manga

Number one most “Yahoo!” news of the day has to be that the first volume of Gunjo is slated to be out in February! I don’t have a link to order it yet, but when I do get one, you can be sure I will be flogging you all to do so. If you have never before ordered a Japanese comic and are not sure why you would ever order one, I implore you to buy this manga. Nakamura-sensei has taken so many risks to make it, and it is so extraordinary in every way. please, please save up your pennies and buy Gunjo!

My copy of Rakuen Le Paradis arrived and, at first glance, it appears to be competing with F Erotics, the magazine that runs Aoi Hana. I say this because there’s an odd variety of stories that don’t quite seem to target men or women, but simply “adults who like reading romantic manga.” Rakuen doesn’t have the off-beat feel of F, but it looks and feels nice – and adult. While Kowo Kazuma’s (Junsui Adolescence) first story is boy/girl, both Takemiya Jin and Nishi UKO have Yuri entries. Can I just say how excited I am to see two of my absolutely favorite doujinshi artists doing work in a magazine for adult readers? I’m so happy for them.

YNN Correspondent Katherine H. is excited to let us know that not only is the first volume of the Canaan manga out at the end of this month, a Light Novel is already out. Her reaction is, “Hmm, most light novels are pretty embarrassing to read,” and “Hehe, Canaan and Alphard are on the cover. Together.” Mine is that Canaan will make a better LN series than a comic and I’d look forward to an extension past the anime storyline if they get there.

Second license request for 2010 – Canaan anime, please. Funimation, this time I’m looking at you.

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Yuri Drama CD

Katherine also points out that a To Aru no Kagaku no Railgun Original recording is up for preorder, as is a new Canaan DJCD.

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Snatches of Yuri

Samurai Age – Koiseyo tatakau otome-tachi! looks like another light novel that will eventually cross my desk here. High school girl samurai fighting and some Yuri-ishness. Gosh who could possibly want to miss that? (This would make a great off-year Yuri anime if anyone cared to bother.)

Yuri H-game fans can throw their money at R18 and R18!, Volume 2!

I admit that the title, Hyakku Ryouran Sengoku Otome appeals to me. Something about girls fighting and Yuri. Sheesh, I’m predictable. :-)

On the other hand, Hyakuen! does not hold any appeal for me, so those of you who mostly disagree with me, probably should take a look at it. lol What does interest me is that this book is a collection of a GanGan Comics series that ran online.

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That’s a wrap for this week.

Become a Yuri Network Correspondent by sending me any Yuri-related news you find. Emails go to anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com. Not to the comments here, please, or they might be forgotten or missed. There’s a reason for this madness. This way I know you are a real human, not Anonymous (which I do not encourage – stand by your words with your name!) and I can send you a YNN correspondent’s badge.

Thanks to all of you – you make this a great Yuri Network!





Yuri Manga: Aoi Hana, Volume 4

January 7th, 2010

Aoi Hana (青い花) is, IMHO, a story about strength. Fumi may be gentle and quiet and a crybaby, but she is doing her best to be herself. It takes a lot of strength to do that at any age, but especially, especially in high school.

In Volume 4, the second year has begun for Fumi and Ah-chan and already the question of the school play is in the topic of conversation at both schools. When the play title was unveiled I have to admit, I did a double-take because, sure, Mishima Yukio is a classic Japanese writer, but I didn’t really think anything he wrote would be suitable for a high school play. Rokumeikan is a story of a clash of cultures, genders and expectations, so it’s actually a pretty great choice.

The Fujigaya Drama Club gains a new member, a loud, slightly scatterbrained first-year, Haruka, whose older sister is the friend of a teacher who is rumored to have a female lover. Ah-chan dies a few deaths as the gossip-mongers in her class go on about how it all grosses them out. Ah-chan’s seatmate, a tall girl who reminds her a lot of Fumi, saves her from having to swallow more bile. Ryouko and Ah-chan become friendly – Ryouko is even drawn into the Drama Club when her recitation of Rokumeikan for the Library Club is overheard.

Fumi too, is drawn back to into the Drama Club’s play, but her voice is too soft and her shyness too great, so she backs out – but not before she meets Ryouko, or Haruka.

Haruka lets slip to Fumi that she thinks her sister likes women. Fumi ponders the meaning of this and later that night confesses to Ah-chan that she had a physical relationship with Chizu – and that she wishes she had that same relationship with Ah-chan.

You see what I mean? Where Sasamekikoto is a series about Sumika’s inability to say anything, her weakness in the face of her feelings, Aoi Hana has Fumi facing up to her feelings and admitting them out loud. At any age, that takes a lot of strength.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Characters – 9
Story – 8
Yuri – 5
Service – 1

Overall – 8

This series is definitely on my license wish list for 2010. I’m looking at you, Vertical.





Light Novel: Maria-sama ga Miteru ~ Little Horrors

January 6th, 2010

High school, among other things, is a series of mortifying moments. Between hormones, life roles and adults being adults, there’s just about no day that goes by when a high school student doesn’t wish that the earth would open up and swallow them at least for a little while.

For Arima Nana, the day described in Maria-sama ga Miteru – Little Horrors (マリア様がみてる―リトルホラーズ) is one of those days.

Nana has entered Lillian Girls’ School in a slightly unusual position. Before she even enters high school, she is Rosa Foetida en Bouton. Not only does she start her high school career as a member of the Student Council but, because of her family and her famed kendo skills, she’s slated to be one of the highlights of the kendo team in time.

So, when the team calls a meeting and her onee-sama, Rose Foetida herself, younger sister of the former captain and third-year member of the team doesn’t show – the earth could not open up fast enough.

Little Horrors appears to be the story of Nana, as she runs around the school, looking for Yoshino. She starts in Yoshino’s classroom, and then tries the Rose Mansion. Noriko joins her as they broaden the search and finally Touko adds her help. When they finally find Yoshino, Nana and she get into a bit of an argument, as Nana explains that she was subject to mortification as a result of Yoshino’s absence. Yoshino, by way of explanation, tries to explain that she didn’t want to stand in Nana’s way in the club.

But all this takes a quick back seat to the real issue – because they find Yumi and Yoshino in the bottom floor of the Rose Mansion, barely containing a leaking pipe. The three en bouton jump in to relieve their onee-sama.

Time passes. Noriko goes off to find a teacher, Yoshino leaves to make her appearance at the club meeting, Touko leaves to go to the toilet. One little, two little, three little Lillian, four little, five little Lillian girls, Nana sings to herself.

Nana and Yumi, alone in the first-floor room, have a conversation in which Yumi was…my god, she was Rosa Chinensis! Youko could not have been more sensible, encouraging and supportive.

And then…the noise starts. Stomp stomp, clap. Stomp stomp clap. the noise comes from the second-floor council room. Yumi and Nana stare at the ceiling and finally Yumi tells Nana to go check, she’s really okay by herself.

Ambivalent about what she might find there, Nana ascends the stairs.

Before I tell you what she found, I ought to point out that this was all in the “ribbon” story – the bits that ties the actual stories together. The actual short stories were all about non-Yamayurikai characters including, as I predicted, the vile twins who seduced then threatened a teacher, and a marginally interesting story about a girl who wasn’t sure if she really was a girl or was an old guy dreaming he was a girl. There was also a completely forgettable story about a girl who becomes friends with the girl who sits beside her in class – while the girl isn’t actually there. -_-; And even more forgettable, a story about a girl who makes up a ridiculous sets of lies that all turn out, through painful contortion of the plot, to end up being true.

But, back to Nana. Slowy, slowly, she reaches out to open the door and slowly, slowly, she enters and suddenly…Pop! The sound of party crackers sound and lo and behold! the whole thing was a setup for a surprise party to welcome Nana. The plan was created by Yoshino – fake a leak to keep Nana out of the second floor room and give everyone a chance to gather there before her. :-)

As a bonus, Yoshino comments that she did indeed make the kendo club meeting where her rival, Tanuma Chisato was voted in as the new club president and she, busy with Yamayurikai duties as she is, was asked by Chisato to be the club vice president. Yoshino was mortified, of course, but that’s high school for you.

Ratings:

Art – 7
Story – 4-7
Yuri – .5
Fan Service – 12? (Noriko-sama! Touko-sama! Squee!)

Overall – 7

In the Afterword, Konno-sensei mentions that her editor referred to this book as Variety Gift IV. Heh.





Yuri Anime: El Cazador de la Bruja, Volume 1 Part 2 (English)

December 28th, 2009

El Cazador de la Bruja, Volume 1The second disk of Volume 1 of El Cazador de la Bruja is where it all changes for Ellis, Nadie, Jody…and us.

For Ellis, she’s come to recognize that her relationship with Nadie will be far more than that of a bounty hunter and her bounty. She’s starting to tease and poke Nadie gently and makes no bones about her admiration for her “partner” to other people. When they meet a happily married couple, Ellis compares her and Nadie to them without reserve.

For Nadie, the truth about Ellis’ past brings a renewed sense of protection and affection for the girl who is not a girl at all.

And for Jody “Blue Eyes” Heyward, full understanding of Project Leviathan brings about a determination to keep Ellis and her power under her care, even when the rest of the witches disagree. And she gets some smokin’ henchwomen. :-D

For us, the series shifts into a more well-worn pattern with our heroines encountering faceless drones bent on killing them, while they change lives by being Ellis and Nadie.

I remember being totally squicked when the series began that Ellis and Nadie might become a couple, but by this 2nd quarter of the series, the idea no longer bothered me. It’s obvious to me that Ellis, in her innocence, naivete or because she likes jerking Nadie around, is leagues ahead of Nadie in sensing what they already mean to each other and where that might lead. Nadie is slower than Ellis in this one thing and that works just fine, keeping their relationship totally organic and not at all rushed or fake feeling.

Ratings:

Art – 7
Story – 8
Characters – 9
Yuri – 3, growing slowly, but steadily
Service – 2

Overall – 8

Once more, my sincere gratitude today to Okazu Superhero Amanda M. for sponsoring today’s review!





Yuri Anime: El Cazador, Volume 1 Part 1 (English)

December 19th, 2009

I wouldn’t call myself an obsessive collector. I don’t usually need the entire series of whatever toys. But gosh, I’m happy I have all three of Mashimo’s and Bee Train’s “Girls With Guns on the Run” series on my shelves now. There’s just something so satisfying about watching cute girls kill unnamed, faceless mooks by the bushelful. Ahhhh. ;-)

And here we are, able to relax at last, as the final installment of the trilogy is laid to rest near its older sister series, Madlax and Noir. Where Noir is serious and business-like, as many older sisters are, and Madlax is creative, but a little weird, as are so many middle sisters, El Cazador is flightly, breezy and a little bit spoiled. :-)

In Volume 1, we are introduced to this series’ pair of girls on the run; bounty hunter Nadie and bounty Ellis, both of whom have a somewhat shady past. We are also introduced to the conspiracy du jour, Project Leviathan, and it’s loathsome leader. And we meet the ambiguous, intriguing and expository Jody “Blue Eyes” Hayward.

In my original review of the series, I stated that I liked the series bunches and that has not changed at all. I’m enjoying the journey South and paying attention to little details I missed the first time around.

So when Ellis took Nadie’s hand in episode 7, I was pleased. Yes, she’s a flakeball and I’m still not sure how much of it is general loopiness from not being human and how much she puts on to be cute, but I really don’t care.

Funimation did a fine job with the subtitles. (I haven’t tried the dubs yet.) If I was required to bitch about something it’s that Funi makes us sit through their ads at the beginning. But why would I complain? Now I can take some time during the week between Christmas and New Year and have the three-series marathon I’ve always wanted. Noir, Madlax and finally, happily, El Cazador. Yay!

Ratings:

Art – 7
Story – 7
Characters – 9
Yuri – For Volume 1, let’s call it a 2
Service – 2

Overall – 8

My sincere gratitude today to Okazu Superhero Amanda M. for sponsoring today’s review. Amanda, thank you truly for all your kindness and generosity, thank you from the bottom of my heart. ^_^